Oral high-dose methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin treatments in adult chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

Abstract

Ten adult patient of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (CITP) used oral prednisone and were treated with seven doses of oral high-dose methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg), Nine of ten patients responded after HDMP treatment (pit > 150 x 10(9)/L). Two patients having 8 and 10 years of history achieved long-term remission after first HDMP treatment, One unresponsive and one responsive patients did not accept IVIG treatment as second therapy and lost the follow-up. The remaining six patients received IVIG (0.5 mg/kg for 5 days) as second therapy after 3 months. Platelet count increased above 150 x 10(9)/L in 4 patients and between 60-80 x 10(9)/L in 2 patients. The peak platelet counts of both therapy users were higher under HDMP than IVIG therapy (252 +/- 110.4 vs 174.2 +/- 83.7 x 10(9)/L), but the difference was not significant. Responses were transient and returned to pretreatment Values at 14-30 days, excluding long-term remission of 2 (2/10) patients after HDMP treatment, No side effect was observed. Thus, oral HDMP appears a good initial therapy for continuous remission in a small ratio of patients and a good security for emergency situations and prior to surgery in adult CITP patients. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.